Hurricane Fay (Skarmory's 2020)
Hurricane Fay was the strongest and most intense hurricane in the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, as well as the deadliest and costliest. The 7th depression, 6th named storm, 4th hurricane and 1st major hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm Fay formed from a tropical wave northwest of Cabo Verde on August 17. She moved west-northwestward, becoming Hurricane Fay on August 18. Continuing to strengthen, she became a C2 on August 19, before weakening back into a C1, then strengthening to a C2 again and becoming the first major hurricane of the season on August 21. She also started unusually moving west-southwestward. She did however continue strengthening, becoming a C4 on August 23 and reaching her peak on August 25 before weakening back down to a C3. She restrengthened into a C4 before landfall on Montserrat on August 28, 2020. She weakened past that, making a 2nd landfall on Puerto Rico as a C2 on August 30, and weakening even faster, dissipating on August 31, 2020. Fay struck Montserrat and the general area as a category 4, causing over 5 billion combined in the non-Puerto Rico islands, with 3 billion coming in Montserrat. Death tolls came at 176 in Montserrat, 59 in Antigua & Barbuda, 38 in Guadeloupe and 87 in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico took 1.8 billion dollars in damage. The total damages and deaths were 7 billion/360 fatalities. The Caribbean was not prepared for another hard hit after last season's Fernand, and that may have been the reason why damage tolls were so high. Puerto Rico was affected by the aftermentioned Fernand as well. Meteorological History A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on August 13, 2020 and was invested on August 14 as Invest 90L. However, it moved over Cabo Verde and was expected to not form, however it did on August 17, 2020 as Tropical Storm Fay. Fay would continue moving west-northwestward, strengthening into a hurricane on August 18 and C2 on August 19. She weakened back down to a C1 the next day, but later that same day she became a C2 again. On August 21, she became a major hurricane and a Category 3 hurricane, the first major of the year. She also started very unusually moving west-southwestwards. On August 23 she became a Category 4. She would weaken down to C3 for 1 advisory before becoming C4 again, reaching her peak of 145 MPH winds and a minimum central pressure of 932 MB on August 25. She would start weakening after hitting wind shear, weakening down to a C3 on August 26, but she restrengthened into a C4 on August 27 before landfall on Montserrat on August 28. Weakening in the hostile waters of the far northeast Caribbean, she only was a C2 at landfall on Puerto Rico on August 30 after heavy weakening. She was moved north and dissipated on August 31, 2020. Impact Antigua & Barbuda Still reeling from Hurricane Fernand, Antigua & Barbuda took heavy damages, even without a direct hit. Fay was fairly big and caused a lot of damage despite not hitting directly or making landfall. Fay actually caused more damage than Fernand, though less deaths. Worse winds and even worse flooding than Fernand caused 1.5 billion dollars in damage, and the country would never be the same again. Only 59 people died, but that may have been to the low population post-Fernand. Montserrat Guadeloupe Puerto Rico Aftermath Retirement Category:Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes